Share this post

Link to post

Well it really depends on how much detail will be put into the map, but id say 6 hours for a good 10-20 minute playtime map with standard detail. This is assuming you will devote the full 6 hours and not deviate onto other projects or tasks.

But in all reality I would say the average mapper finishs around 1-5 rooms a day because of normal distractions and other stuff that will get in the way. Which is why one map can take anywhere from half a week to 1 month to complete.

Share this post

Link to post

Well with me I'm always starting new projects as my motivation these days has plummeted down to a whole new level. I still have maps from last year that need finishing, so in other words it takes me ages to get a map done.

Share this post

Link to post

Very very very long time. Recently I finished another 1-minute map and I'm sure it took me at least 6-7 hours, possibly more. 10-15 minute maps take me months/years. This is because most of the time I don't make any progress, I'm just flying around in the 3D-mode unable to think of anything.

Share this post

Link to post

I pretty much only map at weekends (too much stuff in the week, can't help it really) and it varies. I took two months on one level, but recently I did the token MAP07 tribute and it literally took the morning.

So I guess, it depends. However, that MAP07 was doodled onto paper when I couldn't sleep one night (first time I have ever done this) and it made the actual production of the map faster than anything I've done before. I may map faster with a better approach.

Share this post

Link to post

Oh god. I've released only a few maps, and I've been working on and off at them for months at a time. I'm the type of guy that is never really happy with it and always find new stuff to work out better, so its an almost endless cycle sometimes.

Share this post

Link to post

To me it's more a question of "how long would I work on a map before giving up". I only ever started to map since early last year and I have been on and off making new map after new map, I make a little progress then get depressed and leave it, rarely ever going back to working on it, mapping just isn't something I can keep myself motivated in doing even though I really want to do it.

Share this post

Link to post

Depends on map format, if your going for a vanilla map crammed to the titties with as much detail as possible and keeping within the render limit your probably looking from anywhere between 2 to 3 times longer than a limit removing Boom map. This is mainly because it requires a lot more testing/experimenting whereas a Boom map you don't need to worry about constantly checking it over. A fast mapper can do about 1000 sidedefs an hour or 1000 sectors a day.

Share this post

Link to post

2-3 days (5-6 hours a day) up to a month if it's something like NG map 21. That was with a good 3+ hours every other day too. Latest map I have for NG2 has sat in dev hell though. Maybe half done and I spent at least 30 hours on it. I can't finish mapping big maps anymore.

Share this post

Link to post

My last couple releases were speed mapped and the layouts only took me an hour or two. Still takes me forever to tune gameplay in comparison. I've found my pace has picked up significantly by not using DB2's 3D mode at all outside of a handful of things it's faster for. I used to spend way too much time doing textures in 3D. About all I use it for now is tuning sector heights, minor alignment adjustments (when I make id-style maps, I spend more time undoing the auto alignment from it splitting sectors than I do aligning) and things like stairs where it's much faster than filling in each height change via sector properties.

I've considered making a map in DEU for the hell of it. First editor I used was DeepSea and my map was terrible (not the editor's fault, I just didn't understand how the Doom engine worked at the time) and after that I pretty much gave up on mapping until DB1 came out. I'd like to use one of the older editors just to see what the guys in '94 had to put up with.